February 18, 2026

US union membership hits 16 year high

 The Guardian - The number of workers covered under union contracts increased to a 16-year high in 2025, despite ongoing attempts by the Trump administration to wipe out collective bargaining agreements for tens of thousands of federal workers, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

About 16.5 million workers were covered by a union contract in 2025, up from 16 million in 2024 and the highest level since 2009. The increase stems from workers joining unions as members – 14.7 million US workers were union members in 2025, up from 14.2 million workers in 2024.

The percentage of all workers in the US covered by a union contracts ticked up to 11.2% in 2025, compared with 11.1% in 2024. Union membership increased from 9.9% in 2024 to 10% in 2025.

Union density in the US has declined drastically in recent decades from above 30% in the late 1940s and 50s. Despite the decline, public approval of labor unions has increased in recent years. Approval of unions now ranges between 67% and 71%, according to Gallup, levels last reached in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

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